Former WWE wrestler tells Dallas student about his early ordeals with bullies

A former WWE and mixed martial arts fighter tag-teamed with Dallas police and several DISD schools this week to educate students on the impacts of bullying.

Daniel Puder, a retired professional wrestler, founded the nonprofit My Life My Power in 2010 to address what he sees as a national bullying crisis.

Addressing students at Comstock Middle School in southeast Dallas, the 31-year-old California native, still imposing at 6-foot-3 and over 225 pounds, said he knows about the subject not because he was a bully but because he suffered from bullying as a child.

“I was teased and bullied every day in school,” said Puder, “but I always treated everyone with great respect. And that is how you build relationships.”

My Life My Power is partnering with the Dallas Police Department and the Police Athletic League, to educate students on the negative impacts of bullying and how to deal with bullies in school. Several members of DPD were there to present Puder to E.B Comstock Middle School students.

“We are going to learn and use this program because for us to be successful in life we have to learn to get along with one another,” Deputy Chief C.L. Williams said.

My Life My Power encourages children to find success through school and jobs and use that to enhance their self-esteem and development. He provided the school with 100 autographed copies of his program for counselors to use with students who may be victims of bullies.

“It’s really about taking a kid and developing them for the future,” Puder said. “It’s about personal development and growth.”

Throughout the assembly Puder shared pictures and stories of children who committed suicide after constant bullying.

“You can be whoever you want to be in life, but we are not going to let you be a bully,” said Puder.